Recruit and run Democrats who will represent people, not corporations.

May 5, 2017

After first candidate launch rally, Brand New Congress looks to raise funds to push 8 more

Cori Bush never planned to run for office, but she’s forging forward in hopes of being the first Congresswoman representative for the Missouri First District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Bush is the first candidate backed by Brand New Congress. In her first rally last Sunday, Bush took the stage and told the crowd that she’s ready to represent her district in Washington, and she’s in it for the long haul.

“We need to take our movement to the Capitol that has not done enough, not nearly enough to keep our communities thriving and our children safe,” she said. “So I plan to keep showing up until we can’t be ignored any more. And as Shirley Chisholm says ‘If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.’ So bring out your loungers; I’ll be carrying them over to break up the boys clubs in Congress and demand that you get a seat at the table.”

Saikat Chakrabarti, a co-founder of Brand New Congress, sees Bush’s launch as the first step in an essential reformation of politics in this country.

“Brand New Congress plans to run hundreds of candidates all across the U.S. who are committed to shared values over political parties,” he said. “Bush is an example of what’s to come in the 2018 midterms.”

And that means energizing and mobilizing voters behind candidates who will work for everyone.

“We can only win the trust and support of the public if we present them with a plan that will fix the problems they face,” he said.

Bush’s platform, which conforms with Brand New Congress’ national platform, includes replacing the school to prison pipeline, emphasising job creation, creating safer communities, and healthcare for all.

Looking ahead, counting on small-dollar donors“We were encouraged by the turnout Sunday,” said Corbin Trent, director of communications for BNC. “Based on the enthusiasm and support we saw for Cori, we have no doubt that people all across this country are prepared to come together to make real change now.”

Change in the form of political reformation and small-dollar donations. Brand New Congress aims to raise $187K fairly quickly in order to launch its next 8 campaigns. They’ll do this with small-dollar donations (LINK BNC TO ACTBLUE,) not funding from wealthy contributors.

“Cori is just the beginning,” said Trent. “We have dozens more extraordinary, ordinary people that we are excited to present to the public. We can only make this happen if everybody pitches in.”

If you’re interested in donating now to help BNC fund its next batch of candidates, click here. If you’d like to donate to Cori Bush’s campaign specifically, click here.